Violent Avarice
by a passerby
Summary: OOC. Sasuke as a deadly and clever hitman, with Sakura and friends hot on his heels. Cold-blooded murder, lies, deceit, even a bit of romance. Very Rated M for sex and violence.
1. Chapter 1

**Violent Avarice: Chapter 1**

Summary: Set in present-time in our world/reality, Sasuke Uchiha's past reflects the same tragedies with different causes but similar outcomes. He is an infamous mercenary pursued by Interpol. Sakura and the girls, along with key members of the gang from Konoha, are all members of Interpol. Sasuke and Sakura's ages are in their mid to late 20's.

_Disclaimer: I do not claim any ownership or rights to the Naruto series or its characters._

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><p>Sasuke awoke to a dimly lit motel room. He wasn't covered with the blanket on the rickety bed, but he was still very hot and clammy. The humidity was almost unbearable. He looked to the LCD clock time on the cable box near the bed. It read 8:20 a.m.<p>

'Damn. This early in the morning, and it's already so fucking hot.'

Hearing the old, overused mattress coils squeal, Sasuke stretched his legs far off the bed and situated himself on the side, sitting up. He yawned, stretched and rubbed the sleep from his face. His nicely honed muscles rippled with every stretch. As he stood up, he allowed his arms to reach over his head, his hands meeting in the middle for a grip to stretch even more. He then reached down and pulled his wife beater over his head with an unceremonious tug.

Tank top in hand, Sasuke yanked back a curtain facing the parking lot and peered out the dusty window. He was in a small town somewhere in the desert. It looked almost deserted, save for a few non-luxurious vehicles in the parking lot. The "Lucky 5-Star" motel sign was lit even in the daytime, as it still had neon lettering. But it was updated with a digital marquee advertising what they referred to as "amenities," which were color televisions, individual air conditioning, landline phones, pets allowed, in-room coffee and tea, and wi-fi. The cheap rates were posted on an old roadside sandwich board.

Sasuke was sure those signs looked atrocious now, but he didn't mind as he rolled into town too late last night to care. Maybe the unattractiveness and isolation attracted him at the last minute.

Sasuke shuffled into the tiny bathroom. Under the fluorescent lighting, Sasuke hopped into the shower. He enjoyed the cool spray, but he knew he needed to make a quick chore of it. After shaving, he collected anything he had unpacked during his short stay and repacked, ready to go. Right before Sasuke dressed, he slipped on a necklace he had taken off only to shower. He slipped on fitted dark denim jeans, a plain navy blue v-neck t-shirt, basic socks and his trusty black leather boots. They were a little worn around the edges, but they still looked good and got the job done. Just like Sasuke.

Sasuke picked up his two duffel bags and carried them to his car. It needed a new paint job, but he loved it. Sasuke drove a dark charcoal 1968 Mustang Fastback with black detailing, and he was damn proud of it. The paint was peeling on a few almost unnoticeable weathered areas, but it was what's under the hood that counts. What attracted Sasuke to this particular year and model was this car was built with a wider track for better road grip, easily customizable engines (his was a 390), 4-speed transmission, and a ride that solidified how badass he truly was. Back in the day, these cars were modified to outrun the cops. And that's exactly what Sasuke did.

After he loaded his bags into his car, he locked the doors and went inside the registration office to check out early. He had the room until noon, but he didn't care to stick around that long. He needed to be on the move, and as quickly as possible. Before he went back to his car, he moved the rock he used to keep the door open (since he had to return his room key) and went back inside to retrieve a few things. Underneath his t-shirt was a gun holster. He reached under the pillow and pulled out a Sig-Sauer 9mm pistol, which fit into the holster. If his mind failed him and demanded he close his eyes and rest, he needed an insurance policy. From underneath the bed he lifted an M40A1 heavy barrel sniper rifle, along with a few extra magazines hidden underneath the top and bottom the door he toted out an M-24 sniper rifle, a bolt-action six-shot repeating rifle. Those weren't part of his insurance policy; they were merely there for added fun. Yep, just a couple of his basic tools of the trade. With his gear in tow, Sasuke left and headed for the Southern border.

* * *

><p>"Ms. Haruno. Ms. Haruno. Ms. Ha. . ."<p>

Shizune, the senior assistant to the president of Interpol, nudged Sakura awake.

"Mmm. . .hm. . ." Sakura's eyes flew open, and her head shot up from her desk of scattered papers and scribbled notes.

Shizune held back a giggle.

"Huh? What? Does Tsunade need me?"

"Yes, she has requested a private meeting with you." Shizune's face then turned from stone into one of caring. "Sakura, did you fall asleep at your desk again?"

In a moment of embarrassing realization, Sakura commenced to wiping an embarrassing trail of saliva off the side of her face.

"Guilty. I thought I had a lead. But like most others, it came up dry. I just collapsed from exhaustion and disappointment, and never picked my head back up."

"And around what time was that?"

Sakura looked at the clock on the wall of her small office. It read 8:37 a.m.

"Oh. . .about 4 hours ago."

"Sakura! That's insane. You're no good to us dead or sleep-deprived. If you keep this up, Tsunade is going to order you to visit a shrink. And not a pleasant one."

Sakura groaned. "Alright, I'll be in her office in a few minutes. Let me fix myself up a bit."

Shizune nodded in understanding and walked out of Sakura's tiny office. Sakura stretched, letting her yellow button-up blouse rise to reveal the porcelain skin of her stomach. Sakura popped her neck to her satisfaction, trying to work out a few kinks. She stood from her desk slowly and groggily, and managed to walk down the hallway to the ladies' room. Sakura used the toilet quickly and slunk over to the sinks. She washed her hands, then made a good effort to splash extremely cold water on her face. She pulled a hair band from her pocket on her light gray skirt and tied her strawberry-hued hair back into a manageable ponytail.

Feeling a little bit more presentable, Sakura pulled herself together and made the arduous journey to one of the top floors and entered Shizune's desk outside Tsunade's office.

Shizune looked up from her laptop. "Go on in. She's been waiting for you."

Sakura nodded and gulped, walking over to the door. Sakura knew it was never good to keep Tsunade waiting. She lifted her hand to knock.

"Get in here, Sakura."

Though she could feel her heart pounding to an alarmingly irregular beat, Sakura found the courage to swing the door open and step inside. Tsunade was behind her desk with her hands folded on the surface. She had pictures scattered all over the desk, but she couldn't make out any of the images from her distance.

"Please have a seat. I wish to discuss the Uchiha case."

Sakura quickly found her seat. "Is there new information from California?"

"No, not from California. But there _is_ new information. This time it's from Arizona. He struck in a suburban town called Maricopa, about 30 miles from Phoenix."

"So our guy has traveled a bit from Fresno. A new job?"

"Yes, he had a new hit."

Sakura's eyes darkened. "Had?" Sakura eyed the pictures suspiciously. So she and her team couldn't stop him in time to save another life. Not that he was a serial killer with innocent victims. Obviously, there is a reason why his targets have prices on their heads. They were typically criminals, whether or not they were found guilty by a jury of their peers. Some were murderers themselves. Others were almost as bad. But he had no right to kill, and he was killing for profit. Interpol had their sights on the Taka Organization, an international organization of mercenaries for hire. Anywhere the money was good, they would be assigned a top hitman with just as much skill for lurking and escaping as they were skilled to kill quickly, and carried out the assassinations as discreetly as the customer wanted to be. If the price was right, the hitmen would perform torture if the need or request arose. Those were reserved for special top-dollar clients who either needed information before disposal or just had a vendetta. It wasn't often to come across a case with torture, especially since it's hard to tell what went on before the murder if they covered their tracks well enough to throw off the crime scene unit. Sometimes a hitman would assassinate a group. They tend to be very versatile in the art of killing. Even then, the hitman never required assistance to finish the job. Sasuke Uchiha was found to be one of Team Taka's most prized hitmen. He was an excellent sniper.

Tsunade gathered up the pictures and handed them over to Sakura. Had she not been trained for these types of cases or had been new to Sasuke Uchiha's handiwork, she would have emptied her stomach contents on Tsunade's desk and possibly even lost consciousness. These gruesome photos were images of the latest crime scene in Arizona, apparently. A white male in his mid-50's was missing an eye. And the rest of his face around the eye socket. Sasuke Uchiha was an excellent sniper, so it wasn't surprising to see another murder with wounds obviously inflicted from a long-range ballistic weapon.

"Our CSI agents are on the scene now. They believe they have identified the spot from which Uchiha aimed. They have evidence to go through with you, and they'd rather not ship it here. No evidence should be sent overseas. Since Uchiha seems to be stationed in the United States for now, I must insist you relocate there to continue your investigation. He may have found a way to get into the country, but I don't think he'll be able to leave if the U.S. government's Department of Homeland Security and the FAA will allow him to scrape by them again."

"How did he get into the country in the first place?"

"It seems his organization, Taka, bought him a seat on a charter jet. With a fake passport and his latest fabricated identification as a German citizen," Tsunade handed Sakura a tablet with information on the screen of Sasuke's most recent fake identification. It said he was a German-born half-Japanese German citizen by the name of Sebastian Meisser. Male, age 25. Date of birth: July 23, 1986. Height: 6 feet 2 inches (187.96 cm). Weight: 158 lbs. (71.7 kg). Black hair, brown eyes.

Sakura scoffed and handed the tablet back to Tsunade.

"I've printed off that false identification for your files, of course. And these photos are to go straight into filing, as well. You will receive copies to take in your own case files you will be taking with you."

"Yes, of course. When do I leave?"

"How quickly can you pack?"

The next morning, Sakura was on a plane to Arizona.

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><p><strong>Please review! <strong>A little introduction first, with the plot thickening, lots of danger and a little hint of romance pushed along in every chapter.


	2. Chapter 2

**Violent Avarice: Chapter 2  
><strong>

_Disclaimer: I do not claim any ownership or rights to the Naruto series or its characters._

_**WARNING! **_**M****ature content in this chapter!**_** (Double warning to hardcore SasuSaku fans! **You may want to skip Sakura's 'interaction' with the new character in the second half!**)**  
><em>

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><p>Driving down Superstition Highway late yesterday afternoon, Sasuke received a phone call about his payment.<p>

_Flashback to yesterday:_

_*ring*_

_Sasuke: "Uchiha."_

_Orochimaru: "You've done well, Sasuke. We've already overheard police responding to the shooting outside the Maricopa City Hall."_

_Sasuke: "Well, that was quick. I used a silencer. Someone must have discovered the body quickly."_

_Orochimaru: "Which is exactly what the client wanted. And, as it so happened to be, the city hall was virtually across the street from the police station. If you weren't as careful as I know you are, you could have stared down a nice little line of SWAT team members who'd just be itching to kill you. And you are. . .where?"_

_Sasuke: "Well, aren't you a sweet little fucking ray of sunshine today, huh? I'm on my way to my safe point. It was arranged ahead of time by Jugo. Look in the books if you need to know the exact location."_

_Orochimaru: "Oh, there's no need for that. I know where you are going."_

_Sasuke: 'Then why did you ask? Did you want to see if I would lie and stray from my mission objectives?' "Then I trust the payment will hit my bank account my noon tomorrow._

_Orochimaru: "Yes. I will call you with another job if you suit our need."_

_Sasuke: "Fine."_

_He clicked to hang up the phone and tossed it in a cup holder. Sasuke raked his finger through his hair as the hot desert air flew in through his open windows. He had to admit that it felt good. He felt free, though he knew he had a snake wrapped around his leg, pulling him back down and suffocating him into submission. God, how he hated Orochimaru._

_End flashback.  
><em>

Orochimaru was arguably one of the world's most evil living villains. He truly just was a cliche villain. He held strong opposition against anything righteous or just. Puppies and kittens made him sick. Especially if they were undercooked. Orochimaru's failing health led him to needing constant care from an annoying bitch by the name of Karin. She wasn't a very talented killer, but she was a pretty good nurse. She had connections in the medical field out of Russia, so she illegally purchased any medical equipment of prescriptions they'd need to take care of Orochimaru. Being bed-ridden through his tougher days left him in an even worse mood.

But somehow, Orochimaru always seemed to be in a good mood when he had a chance to call Sasuke, his most prized mercenary. Orochimaru coaxed the orphaned boy from his decimated home after his family was slaughtered like pigs. Sasuke was playing on a playground not far from his home, and returned to find his parents in a pool of blood. His brother was nowhere to be found, and was never heard from again.

Even though the tragedy was twenty years ago. As much as Sasuke tried putting his past behind him, it was ingrained in his memory forever. Sasuke later learned of the evils that lurked within his family. Sasuke was destined to be an outcast of society, not phased by bloodshed. He didn't mind killing a man or woman with children - family or not, his targets, he felt, had to have known he was coming for them. Sasuke though that people should learn to fear their dastardly actions. If God himself could no longer strike fear into peoples' hearts, then the job was left to him. And, for now, working for Orochimaru gave him the training, funds and accessibility to travel that he needed.

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><p>Sakura pulled in to the Courtyard Marriott in Phoenix, AZ late that evening, not happy after her long flight into the Southwest. She was not even an hour from Sasuke's latest job. Forensic evidence had been collected, and the body was transported to Phoenix for examination. Obviously, this would not be the type of place Sasuke Uchiha would try to find a room at. He is a professional. He stays away from any building with cameras, unless he can disguise himself as much as possible. Typically, he would only enter a hotel like this if it happened to be a rendezvous point with contacts or if this was the place he planned to carry out his deeds. . .well, misdeeds.<p>

Sakura temporarily parked her little BMW Roadster rental underneath the awning to the hotel entrance. She left everything but her purse inside the vehicle and locked it with the auto lock on the keyring. She went to the registration desk to check in.

"Hello. Linda Smith, checking in." Sakura used fake names for extra protection from anyone who dared recognize her name.

"Linda. . .Smith. . .ah, here you are! Room 517. That is closer to the eastern side of the building. Just pull around to the right of the building to where you see the second grouping of doors, not the first grouping, and you should be able to take the elevator from that entrance. Here is your key card. Use it to enter the exterior doors and into your room. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"No I think that will be it for now. Thank you."

"Uh huh. Please enjoy your stay with us."

Sakura nodded politely and hurriedly walked back out to her car. She climbed in the driver's seat. She pulled the keys back out and pushed them into the ignition. When she looked up to the dashboard, a few strange lights came on. But the car didn't crank.

"I'll be damned. Just my luck." Sakura moved to step out of the vehicle and go back inside to ask for car assistance, but a young gentleman with a cowboy hat came to her aid. She couldn't see his face very well in the shadows, so she kept her distance. She continued fumbling around in her purse until she felt something besides her cell phone - her handgun. Now a little more confident, she pulled out her cell phone.

"Howdy. Looks just like a spark plug issue, ma'am." Thank God it wasn't Sasuke Uchiha. But still, she sure as Hell didn't know who the "cowboy" was.

"Sir? How do you know? I haven't even popped the hood yet."

The strange young man pulled something from his jacket. It was a spark plug.

Sakura was pissed and damn well ready to shoot the bastard. "Just who the Hell are you?"

"Whoa, there. Calm down, ma'am. My name is Eric Bannister. From the CIA." He reached into his jacket and produced a badge with his credentials.

_Flashback to yesterday:_

_Sakura: "I need to go. My flight's about to begin boarding call."_

_Tsunade. "Well, just one more thing. The U.S. isn't happy that this bastard was able to squeeze by the D.H.S. They're all over this case. But he's our guy, Sakura, so make sure you're all over this."_

_Sakura: "Right."_

_Tsunade: "In order of good faith, you will be working with a CIA agent by the name of Bannister. Eric Bannister. He's been involved with tracking international criminals in his short career. He's pushing only thirty now, but he has a few years under his belt with the U.S. Marshalls, as well. He's an expert tracker. He could help you, especially since you're a long way from home. You grew up well out of the desert, Missy."_

_Sakura: "Yeah, yeah. I somehow knew you'd let me get stuck with another attractive hotshot. . .ooh! My plane is boarding now! I gotta go!"_

_-click-_

_Tsunade: "I never told you he was attractive." She looked down at his files, including his photo ID. "But yeah, he's pretty good-looking."_

_End flashback._

"Hm. I've been waiting for you." Sakura reached under the dash to find the handle to pop the hood.

"Oh, really. Such a pretty young girl out here, all alone? Waiting for me? Who'da thunk it?" He grinned. She had to hand it to him. For a young Southern guy, he was handsome. Not at all her type, but at least he was polite. His humor was a bit off-putting, though she did enjoy being doted on.

"What?"

"You aren't from the South, are you, Sakura?"

"No, I am not. I am from Indiana."

"Ah. A girl from the plains."

"I suppose." 'Not really. Learn some geography, idiot.'

"Well, what say I put this back in your car, you go park, go upstairs and change into something purty, and I'll take you out to dinner. . .to get more acquainted with you? What do you say?" Eric strolled back over to the BMW and fumbled around under the hood. She noticed him when he thought he was being clever.

'He installed a GPS tracking device inside my rental, the bastard. Oh, well. He can follow the guy who I park next to, because that damn thing is coming off - tonight.'

"Hmm. . . I suppose we do need to communicate about the case a bit more. What information Interpol has shared with you and your superiors doesn't even begin to scratch the surface. Case files aren't going to help you get into this perp's head." Sakura stood over him as he replaced the spark plug.

"Well, well. Aren't you just a hard worker? How long have you been following this case?"

"A long time."

He snorted. "Well, that must be a long time, then." He stood back up, said, "watch your fingers, now," and closed the hood.

"Well, thank you for. . .wasting my time. I'll go to my room, now." Without giving him much of any other glance, Sakura climbed back in her car, closed the door with a loud slam, and peeled out from under the awning. She took the effort to check as she was going around the building to look back. She saw Eric Bannister walk over to a shiny chrome-trimmed maroon Dodge Ram 4x4 pickup truck.

'Oh, Lord. How cliche, you cow patty. I bet you don't even live on a farm or do any type of manual labor to warrant a heavy-duty pickup.'

Sakura retrieved her bags from the backseat and walked into the building with her key card. She found the elevators easily, just past what appeared to be a conference room. She rushed inside the elevator when it opened and pressed the button, "4." She didn't hesitate to press the wrong button when she felt like she was being watched. Upon reaching the fourth level, she walked over to the stairs with her rolling suitcase and bags in hand. She struggled, but managed to conquer the last flight. She didn't want that weaselly bastard, Eric, to be able to trail her to the fifth floor. She noticed the elevator on the first floor indicated which floor the elevator stopped on, and she was highly suspicious that Eric was watching those red numbers above the elevator she had just climbed onto.

After reaching her door, she used her key card to enter it. It was a fairly nice room, albeit a little smaller than a more luxurious hotel. But she wasn't on vacation - she was on the clock. Sakura placed her rolling suitcase on a stand placed near the bed for just that purpose. She unzipped the big thing and revealed an interior garment bag. Inside were a couple of cute dresses. She pulled out a little black dress, fit for almost any occasion. But She did pack another green cocktail dress. It wasn't too formal, but damn, did it look great on her. It made her pink hair and jade green eyes pop. The dress was a kelly green halter-top with criss-crossed straps in the front in a demure "X" on her upper chest. I did show a little bit of cleavage underneath, but nothing too sexy. It did have a silver sheer sash around the wait, helping draw the eye upwards so her legs looked a little longer. The dress came down to her calves. But she probably needed it custom-tailored for it to come up to her knees, like it was supposed to. But it looked a little more business-appropriate with a little bit more length to it. Hell, she looked killer in it, no matter the dress length.

With sprucing up her hair a bit, Sakura applied a bit more evening-appropriate makeup. She went heavy on the eyeliner and mascara, gave herself some violet eyelids to clash elegantly with her dress, tinted her cheeks slightly more pink, and stained her lips in a classic dusty rose hue that matched her light skin perfectly. She slipped on strappy silver heels, grabbed a black beaded clutch, dumped her things in it and bolted down the stairs. Before she reached the elevator, she lightly sprayed a little bit of a light floral scent on.

When she reached the lobby, she knew that would be where Eric would be waiting on her. A gentleman received women in the sitting area. She assumed well.

"Well, well. Aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" He stood up, clearly more shocked than he would have wanted to reveal. Yes, Sakura knew she was a looker. And she could use it to her advantage.

"Thank you. Now, where do you plan on taking me tonight? I hope you have somewhere in particular in mind, because girls don't just slip on 5" heels for nothing."

"That you are right, Miss Haruno. Why don't we try this cue little restaurant in town that I've heard of. I called ahead and made reservations for the best table in the house."

"Sounds perfect." Sakura grinned, knowing full well she could have him eating out of the palm of her hand by morning.

"Right this way, Miss Haruno. Your 4x4 chariot awaits over here, to the right."

"I have to say I prefer Miss Haruno more than ma'am. You know full well you are a few years older than I."

"Yes, I do believe so. I trust you've studied up on me before you got here."

"No, actually. Before I boarded my flight out of Germany, my superior told me your name and a few basic things of your background. But that's it. I don't have any files on you."

Eric took Sakura all the way out to his hometown of Scottsdale, AZ, to a resort with a 5-star restaurant. It was only about twenty minutes from her hotel, but it was a bit peculiar to her. Now she hoped her dress was good enough. He made reservations for somewhere called the Sunset Room, reservation-only. He must have pulled a few strings to get a reservations for two so quickly.

When they walked in, Sakura couldn't believe the beautiful dining area. The walls were glass, and she could see the city of Phoenix sparkle with lights. It was breathtaking. It was truly just sunset in the Sunset room, and she knew why it was named so. The view at sunset was absolutely astonishing.

"Oh, my goodness. It's. . .beautiful."

"Thank you, Miss. We take pride in the beautiful landscape. How may I assist you this fine evening?" A tall, thin man in his mid-50's with peppered gray hair stood at the host's podium. His named tag read, "Ronald."

"Detective Bannister, reservation for two. Angelo reserved our table."

"Ah, here it is. Yes, you have a wonderful table. Come, let me show you."

Sakura walked to the table behind this Ronald character, and was even more stunned to have a wonderful table next to the window. She saw everything.

"Wow. One of the best seats in the house, huh?"

"Yep. I know the owner. He's my brother in-law." Eric grinned.

"Ah. Well, shall we. . ."

"Good evening. Thank you for joining us on such a beautiful evening. Would you like to see a wine menu?" A young man not much older than Sakura brought out stemmed glasses of water.

"Not necessary. We'll have a bottle of champagne from Angelo's private collection."

"Eric, right?"

"Yes, I am."

"Yes, he said you might be stopping in. I'll get that bottle for you right away. Until then, please look over our menu and please take your time."

Sakura noticed the prices weren't on the menu. "Hm. 5-star, huh?"

"Yep. That means cooked like a three-star restaurant, but priced twice as high."

Sakura giggled. 'This is going to be a long night.'

About forty minutes later, Eric and Sakura had polished off most of the champagne. Sakura hated the taste of champagne, but it was a very nice, expensive bottle. How could she say no? Besides, she was going to need alcohol if she was going to get this guy eating out of the palm of her hand. Sakura picked at a few light items on the menu .She wasn't very hungry, anyway.

"Well, I think we may be a little too tipsy to drive back tonight. Luckily, my brother-in-law let me have a suite if I needed it."

'Oh, brother.' "Well, that's convenient. If you can't drive back, then I sure can't." Sakura may have over-slurred, just to get her point across. 'Well, at least I don't have to sleep with him in my crappy by-the-airport teeny room, probably with paper-thin walls.'

"Let's get out of here." Eric stood, and the young waiter came back to the table. "Will you be needing anything else this evening, Mr. Bannister?"

"Just my room key."

"Very good, sir." The young waiter turned on his heel, but Eric called him back. He walked away from Sakura after the guy, deliberately walking out of earshot.

Eric put his arm on the guy's shoulder in a friendly gesture and slipped a $50 bill in his hand.

"Be sure to bring another bottle of champagne to the room, quickly. Oh, and it's _Detective_ Bannister."

Sakura wished she didn't know how to read lips.

"That's my nephew's friend, Cody. I swear, that kid hasn't grown any sense since he was a teenager."

"Then why did he ask you if you were the owner's brother-in-law earlier?"

"I don't know. I suppose he didn't recognize me. Back in the day, I wasn't much more of a string-bean than he is. Now I've packed on a little bit more body mass."

'Oh, man. When he's lit, he talks about himself an awful lot.'

They moved to a different part of the hotel, which turned out to be a sprawling resort. Sakura couldn't help but be in awe of the charm of the place, but she made sure to overdo it for Eric.

By the time they reached the suite, Eric had his arm wrapped sensually around Sakura's waist "for her balance."

"Here's the suite. It's nice. I hope you don't mind if we share it."

Sakura shook her head.

Eric grinned, opening the door. Alright, it was pretty nice. Eric remembered his manners and allowed Sakura to enter first. She placed her clutch near the door and walked inside. She noticed another bottle of champagne in the sitting area.

"More champagne?"

"Uh huh. What can I say? My brother-in-law likes me."

Sakura waltzed over to the large sliding glass door. "The room, the view. . .this is very beautiful."

Eric walked up behind her and placed wrapped his arms around her waist. "You're beautiful." He dipped down and began kissing her neck. Sakura moaned into his touch, urging him to continue. So he did. He ran his masculine hands up and down her sides for friction while he licked and sucked her neck, shoulder, then back up to her jaw line. He traced her jaw line with little nips, then gently grabbed her hips to turn her around and took her lips in his in a sensual, fiery kiss.

Sakura moaned deeply into their connection. She reached one arm up and wrapped it around his neck, where it touched his shoulder blade. Her other hand began pushing his jacket off his other shoulder.

Eric pulled back from the kiss and shrugged off his jacket.

"I know we practically just met, but I knew I felt an instant connection with y-"

"Shut up." Sakura had already unzipped her dress and began stepping out of it. Eric's jaw dropped at her lacy white lingerie. Sakura's full breasts poured out of a full C-cup bra. Eric's eyes roamed down her flat belly to the little bow trimming matching her white lace thong.

"I'm going to need help with my shoes."

Eric walked over to the goddess standing before him. He pulled her to the bed and laid her out on the duvet. When her back hit the mattress, he unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it to the ground. Then he loosened and slid his belt off, as well as unzipped his pants. But he didn't slide them off just yet.

Sakura stared up at him from her back as he grabbed one of her thighs and lifted her leg closer to him. He carefully found out how to unbuckle and take off her silver heel. After it came off, he rubbed her foot. He placed a kiss to her ankle. She felt his stubble on his handsome face. The other heel came off, but he held on to this foot a little bit longer. He kissed this ankle, too, but kept going all the way up her smooth leg until he reached her knee. He grasped both of her knees as he planted his on the edge of the mattress, crawling closer and closer towards her. Sakura was growing impatient. Eric pulled her legs apart, noticing she was already wet. He smirked. Sakura moaned to recapture his attention, to say, 'Hey, I'm still up here!' He fit himself between her thighs and planted more messy kisses and licks to her flat stomach, working his way between the valley between her breasts and up to her chin before finding her face again. Their lips connected once more.

Sakura squeezed Eric's hips with her thighs, encouraging some friction from him. He took the hint and ground his hips against her core. She could feel his already-erect manhood against her panties. One of her hands tangled itself in his light brown hair while the other went down to his pants. They were already unzipped, so it was pretty easy for her to begin sliding them down. She could feel his manhood flush against her when the pants released it. Eric finished by kicking the pants the rest of the way off. His socks and shoes were already off, so he was left only in a tight pair of jockeys, and she was still in her lingerie.

But his hands were already at her back, pulling at the clasp of her bra. He unclasped it expertly, then practically slung the thing off of her. It was tossed near her dress, though he wasn't really aiming for it. H was too busy staring at the sight before him. Sakura smirked. Yeah, she knew she had a pretty nice rack. Eric must have thought so, too. He spent quite a long time playing with them, kneading an sucking his way into oblivion.

Sakura reached her hands into his underwear and felt his girth. He wasn't too average. He was a well-proportioned man, so his length was satisfactory to that. He was well-endowed, so this seemed to be getting worth Sakura's time. And he seemed to know what he was doing. But he wasn't getting down to business, so Sakura decided to speed things up. Her own way.

Sakura managed to flip him over, his side landing on the pillows. He took the time to rearrange himself on the bed while Sakura stood over him on her knees. When he leaned back on the pillows comfortably, Sakura swung one of her knees over his lap to straddle him.

"Well, now it's getting interesting."

Sakura giggled. "Uh huh." 'It's about damn time. You're welcome, you fucking imbecile. Make yourself useful and strip.' Sakura reached down once again and pulled his waistband down, while he grasped her hip to keep her steady. Sakura wiggled his underwear down far enough for him to catch them and shove them all the way off. Sakura Allowed Eric to pull the stings of her thong down, and she straightened up enough for them to slide down her legs. She hurriedly discarded them so there were no more boundaries.

Eric pulled Sakura closer again to capture her lips. Sakura sucked on his bottom lip a little and grasped his length, stroking it none too gently. She had to admit she liked the masculine grumbles and grunts she received from her ministrations. Sakura's thumb swirled over the tip, smearing it for extra lubrication.

"Do you have a. . .."

Eric raised an eyebrow, then realized what she was asking.

"Oh! Yeah. Hold on." He reached over the bedside into his pants pocket and retrieved a small plastic square package. He tore the corner off and conducted business as usual.

Once the condom was in place, Sakura lined him up with her center and gently but effectively plunged. She and Eric both moaned pleasurably at the first wave of intense friction.

"Oh, dear God. Feels so fucking good." Eric's length throbbed inside Sakura. She moaned a little more, adjusting to the feeling inside her. Then she began to move up and down at a steady pace. She gently rocked a little into his hips, her bucking motions clearly turning Eric on more and more.

"Yeah. Just like that. Slow and steady." Sakura wanted to smack him every time he opened his mouth. He clearly was not the one in control, but he liked to think he was. Well, she wasn't going to dispute him. She was in this for herself, and she was going to get what she wanted then have him follow her around like a puppy dog. He might've thought he was going to pull the ole screw-and-slide, but not now. Sakura could already tell. He had stars in his eyes.

Soon enough, going at a steady pace, Sakura was bobbing up and down, grinding on his hips. Moans and squeals of delight filled the room. Eric's brow beaded with sweat. Sakura knew he couldn't hold on much longer. 'Wimp.'

With a few more deliberate gyrations, Sakura succeeded in driving over the edge. Her walls tightened and seized, squeezing Eric's length. In an instant, Eric groaned loudly, spilling himself inside the condom.

Well spent, both were very happy to lie back on the comfy bed.

"Wow. I don't think. . .it's even been that intense for me."

Sakura was still breathing heavily and decided to just play dumb. They spent the night in the hotel room, playing footsie until Sakura was fully satisfied Eric was eating kibble out of the palm of her hand.

* * *

><p><strong>Please review! Don't just read and ditch! <strong>Quite steamy. Sakura may be a whore, but keep in mind - she's a _professional_ whore. Not a prostitute, just uses sex to get where she wants to go. She probably wouldn't have done it if Eric wasn't good-looking. No harm, no foul. Just one night, right? Sasuke's a professional killer, so hey - why not? No flames, please - this is OOC fanfiction, and it's just going to get screwier from here. I already have the last chapter written!


	3. Chapter 3

**Violent Avarice: Chapter 3  
><strong>

_Disclaimer: I do not claim any ownership or rights to the Naruto series or its characters._

__**WARNING! **_**M****ature content in this chapter!** SasuSaku, with implied NaruHina.  
><em>

* * *

><p><em>In the previous chapter:<em>

_They spent the night in the hotel room, playing footsie until Sakura was fully satisfied Eric was eating kibble out of the palm of her hand._

* * *

><p>Sakura closed the door to her hotel room. She crept from Eric's arms, got dressed quickly and bolted after calling a cab. The resort was nice, but she wanted to be gone before Eric woke up. She needed to make him miss her. . .to want her. She was sure it was the complete opposite of what his plans were, but he screwed the pooch when he decided to take charge of Sakura Haruno's international homicide investigation. This girl doesn't play with fools - she merely uses them as pawns.<p>

Before retreating to her room, Sakura made sure to uninstall the GPS tracker Eric placed underneath the hood of her rental car. During dinner, she texted one of her U.S. cohorts, Hinata Hyuuga, to arrange for another rental car.

*ding ding*

Sakura received a text message on her cell phone. She had a feeling who it was, and her feeling was confirmed as she smirked at the display. She left Eric a note on the hotel bed that included her personal cell number. . .her temporary cell number, of course. This entire phone was set up before she landed in the United States. It was for. . .business purposes. And for all she cared, Eric was merely business.

**555-763-4763: **"Good morning, beautiful. I didn't hear you leave."

**Unknown number: **"I didn't want to wake you, but I needed a shower and a change of clothes. I'm headed to the crime scene later. I'll call you before I leave."

**Eric: **"Ok. Can't want to see u later."

Sakura chuckled darkly to herself. 'Idiot.'

She dialed TenTen's number. TenTen was another operative here in the United States, and another close friend of hers.

"What's up?"

"I need another room. Not another hotel, but another room in this hotel. I don't want them to know I checked out. They tried the oh-so-clever GPS device inside my car."

"What about the cowboy?"

Sakura smirked. "Everything's fine."

"Aha. So you rode him like a bronco, huh? Did you use a saddle?"

"TenTen!"

TenTen giggled. "I bet he was pretty good, though."

"Nah. He let me do most of the work."

TenTen clicked her tongue in disapproval. "What a shame. Taking charge again, huh?"

"What can I say? Who's the boss?"

"You are, girl. I'll get you another room. You'll be Yvonne Windham, wife of Mr. Jonathan Windham. No need to go to the lobby - Hinata will check in for you and take your key card to you."

"Got it."

* * *

><p>*ring ring*<p>

Sasuke: "Uchiha."

Karin: "Hello, Sasuke, honey."

Her voice was not what he wanted to hear. The one voice that he wanted to hear less than Orochimaru's.

Sasuke: "Dammit, Karin. Don't call me that. I'm not interested."

Karin: "Oh, please. I caught you trying to look up my skirt last time you were here."

Sasuke: "You sure that wasn't Suigetsu? I haven't been there recently. I'm in the States."

Karin: "Oh, I remember the last time you were here. I always do."

Sasuke: "Is there something you need to tell me? Where's Orochimaru?"

Karin: "Oh, he's around. Look. . .he isn't in the best shape. It's probably best that you retreat. We can arrange for you to leave the States. There's that place in Mexico."

Sasuke: "That place in Mexico is mine, not Orochimaru's."

Karin: "Oh? I'd love to see it."

Sasuke: "No, that's not an option. Its exact location is withheld from you morons for a damn good reason. Even he doesn't know where it is."

Karin: "Don't be too sure about that."

Sasuke didn't answer. He may be bluffing. For all Sasuke knows, Orochimaru could be listening in on the phone conversation.

Sasuke: "So what's different about his condition now?"

Karin: "Well, I don't know how much better he's going to get. I think he knows he's on his last leg. It may be time for him to retire. He's requested to speak with you in person. All of you."

Sasuke thought about Naruto, Neji and Shikamaru, his homicidal comrades.

Sasuke: "I'll see what I can do. I could arrange to be there in a couple of days, I guess."

Karin: "You do that. I'll call you again if there's a change in his condition, or if he needs to speak with you before you get here."

Sasuke: "Fine."

Karin: "I lo-"

-click-

'Stupid bitch. Like I'd ever touch that whore.'

Sasuke slammed the pump back when his gas tank was filled. He looked for the place to slide his prepaid credit card through the machine. He had plenty of loaded prepaid cards to use for fast, disposable transactions. If we was going to use a card, he had to make them disposable. Those were for travel expenses, so they were provided by Taka. His own paycheck awaited his bank account for use in the fun-filled Cabo San Lucas.

Funny thing about his prepaid card is that it didn't work. How stupid! He forgot and slid a few American dollars from his pocket. He was outside Chihuahua, Mexico. This place sure as Hell doesn't have any fucking credit card machines. He was at a filthy gas station just off Carretera Federal 45. He was still stuck in the desert, and couldn't wait until his plans came to fruition. He wanted sandy beaches, not the fucking dirt. He felt like an abandoned piece of scum, left to wander the desert in search of his oasis. And, of course, his personal oasis isn't complete without a beautiful woman by his side to share it with. And it wasn't going to be that fucking Karin.

Sasuke entered the poorly-kept gas station. He looked for the drinks. The cashier eyed him suspiciously. He was used to the looks, though.

"Hola. Buenos días." (Hello. Good morning.)

The cashier looked at him a little less suspiciously, but was still not comfortable with such an imposing figure inside his filthy little gas station.

"Tú debes de veinticinco dólares. Americano?" (You owe twenty-five dollars. American?)

"Sí. Uno momento." (Yes. One moment.) Sasuke found a cold glass bottle of Coca-Cola and grabbed a couple bagged snacks. They weren't freshly-cooked good like he smelled from across the counter, and he believed that was a good thing. He thought across the counter was where that food should stay.

"Ahora tiene treinta y dos dólares." (Now it is thirty-two dollars.)

"Aquí hay un cincuenta. Usted puede guardar el cambio." (Here is a fifty. You can keep the change.)

"Gracias." (Thank you.)

Upon walking out of the dirty gas station, Sasuke popped open the glass bottle with a key chain bottle opener and reached into his pocket for his cell phone. He dialed Neji's cell number.

"Hyuuga."

"Neji."

"Sasuke Uchiha. Are you in Mexico yet?"

"Yes. I'm just leaving the outskirts of the city of Chihuahua, on 45." Sasuke had just pulled back onto the main road.

"Ah. Then I am assuming you should arrive in Mexico City by. . .tomorrow morning?"

"Tomorrow evening. I am going to stop and stay the night in Guadalupe."

"Sounds simple enough. Have you received a call from Karin?"

"Hn. Orochimaru wants to speak with us. He seems to be on his last leg."

"That is what I assumed. He must be announcing Kabuto's inevitable takeover. I will be there when you arrive. I'm flying in later tonight."

"I'll see you then."

"Right."

-click-

'So it's true. This is our chance to dissolve Taka.'

Kabuto, Taka's second in command, was like an extended appendage of Orochimaru. Kabuto was Orochimaru's eldest son. Sasuke wasn't sure what happened to Orochimaru's other children. He just assumed he sacrificed them. . .ate them. . .who the fuck knows. Kabuto had the same level of cruelty and terror as his father, but he did lack his father's confidence. This succession is obviously not ideal for Orochimaru, but he is going to entrust in Kabuto that he will step up to the plate. This was their chance.

Naruto, Neji, Shikamaru and Sasuke all longed for their freedom. They bore the mark of the snake on their left shoulders, and were not at all happy about it. Since they were always fully clothed any time they did happen to be photographed or recorded, which was rare, Interpol was never able to see the tattoos or notice the significance. Taka's hitmen were marked. And they were plotting to rip the stamps right off. Orochimaru had been battling lung cancer for a very long time, but there is not cure for him. His ticket to Hell has a date stamped on it, and he damn well knew it. Sasuke was certain Orochimaru feared a coup d'etat, and planned on turning over his affairs - Taka Organization - to his insane son. But Sasuke and the guys knew this was their one and only chance before Hell was brought to Earth. There is no telling what Taka Organization was capable of with Kabuto at the helm. He could cause a lot of damage, which Sasuke didn't much favor; or he could quickly end things and falling to international forces because he's an absolute moron.

Sasuke continued to drive until he reached his destination: another low-key motel in Guadalupe, this time arranged by Shikamaru.

* * *

><p>Sakura changed into a plain white oxford button-up, a navy blue blazer and matching navy blue pants. She was wearing comfortable gray flats. She had texted Eric late, after she was already on her way. As he walked in, she was already making notes on her recorder and was going over the coroner's report.<p>

"Ah, glad you could join us." Sakura smiled kindly, yet professionally. Any romance form the other night was gone.

"Oh, uh, um. . .hi, I'm Eric Bannister. Pleased to meet you, ma'am." He turned to the new acquaintance standing with Sakura: Ino Yamanaka.

"Ino Yamanaka. Pleased to meet you, Mr. Bannister." She stuck out her hand so he could shake it, and, as she assumed, he hesitated while tripping over himself. 'What a horn-dog.'

"It's Detective Bannister." Sakura was quick to correct Eric.

"Oh, uh. . .yes. It is." Eric couldn't believe that he was standing in front of the two hottest Interpol detectives he had ever seen. Both were completely flawless, even in professional attire. He thought his mind was playing tricks on him.

"Well, we're done with the coroner's report. We're moving on to the forensic evidence found at the crime scene. Bullet casings, I heard."

"Y-yes. Three shells were found on a nearby rooftop."

"Ah. Then that must have been his perfect vantage point. I saw pictures where lots of gravel was kicked up, and bootprints were everywhere. He seemed to have been waiting around for a while, waiting for that perfect shot."

"That's our guy." Ino agreed with Sakura's findings.

"Right." Eric added, not sure what to do with these two women.

"I'm going to go check on a few more items. I'll call you later, Sakura."

"Alright." Sakura watched as Ino looked Eric up and down hungrily, making him squirm. He lifted his hat in a gentlemanly gesture.

"Good day, ma'am." He waited until Ino was definitely out of earshot. "So. . .last night. . ."

"We don't have to let it affect our professional relationship, right? I have a ton of work to do, and a lot of time yesterday was wasted. Interpol has officially taken control of the case, since we were able to correctly identify the hitter as our guy. All evidence will be turned over immediately."

"Oh. . .uh-um. . ." Sakura left Eric standing there at the city morgue, holding the coroner's report.

* * *

><p>Eleven hours later, Sasuke pulled up to his motel. He hit a road block just an hour before he reached his destination, which almost made him hyperventilate. When they were checking for illegal drug trafficking, something Sasuke Uchiha has not tried (yet), he breezed on through. They only used drug-sniffing dogs. When they didn't pick up a scent of drugs on his bags, they didn't bother to rip them apart. . .and find all the guns and other weapons. Damn, was he lucky.<p>

After checking in under the name Kenchi Diaz, he parked close to his room and brought all his belongings inside. In this area, Sasuke couldn't take a chance on anything of his getting jacked. It would be hard for someone to steal his car, but it didn't take much more than a brick to bust out a window.

Sasuke tossed his bags on his tiny bed. He unzipped a pocket and dug around for his shaving kit. Then he searched for clothes and his soap and shampoo - in Mexico, he brought his own stuff.

Sasuke walked into the tiny bathroom. It was pretty clean, but outdated and cramped. Not a bother, since it was only him. Sasuke stripped down to his boxers and turned on the faucet at the porcelain sink. He carefully lathered and shaved his unwanted stubble and washed his tools off. Then he turned on the shower.

While he was awaiting his thought-to-be impending demise, since he wouldn't go down without a fight and would have erupted into a shower of gunfire right there at the roadblock until he no longer breathed, Sasuke had time to reflect on another close call, almost three years ago. He was on a mission in Bulgaria, in a little village just outside Varna. It was a small fishing village just off the Dead Sea. He remembered implying the irony of the dead sea when he threw three dead bodies into the sea.

But the trouble started later, at a tiny little bistro in town.

_Flashback to almost three years ago:_

_"They would have floated, anyway, Teme."_

_"Shut up, Naruto. You always find a way to ruin my good vibe."_

_"Whatever. You know Orochimaru doesn't like for you to do anything fancy to the bodies. Just make it look like a basic, cold-blooded murder. If it looks pre-meditated, make it look like turf wars, gang violence, blah blah. You know the drill."_

_"Don't patronize me, you imbecile. Plenty of people would have wanted to dump the bodies in the water, Dobe. But this is now necessary to help destroy fibers and fingerprints due to you touching the targets with your bare hands."_

_"I didn't do it on purpose! The bastard grabbed me by the collar and threw me through a plate glass window! Didn't you see him? We was probably 300 pounds! Pure muscle!"_

_"Well, he got a hold of you because you're an idiot! He-"_

_"I'm not an idiot! You're a bastard!" Naruto then threw a punch at Sasuke, who stopped his fist mid-flight and knocked him backwards. Naruto lost his balance and bumped right into a table of three beautiful young women._

_"S-sorry. My friend and I. . .well. . ." Naruto rubbed the back of his head, nervously. He bumped into possibly the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on._

_"You're American? Wow! Finally, we found other Americans!" The brunette next to Naruto's victim was certainly very loud._

_"TenTen! You don't have to yell at them!" Sasuke's eyes glazed over. Like Naruto, Sasuke believed he had laid eyes on the most beautiful creature the world had to offer. She was almost surreal. The first thing he noticed was her soft pink hair. The next thing he noticed was her smile, which she showed off next when she looked at him. And boy, was her smile beautiful. She appeared to be in her early 20's. Sasuke assumed they were college students studying or traveling abroad. Sasuke sauntered over to her, already too overzealous from his successful kills earlier that morning._

_"Hello. My name is Sasuke Uchiha." He smirked confidently._

_"Sakura Haruno." She smiled again._

_"Ah. Your accent seems familiar to me."_

_"What? I don't have an accent. I'm from-"_

_"Chicago, right?"_

_"Oh, my goodness! How did you know? Well, I grew up in Gary, Indiana. But my parents commuted to Chicago. They didn't want to raise their family in the city."_

_Sasuke didn't know why, but he wanted to hear all about her family. He was captivated by her. They clicked and moved to their own private table, while Naruto entertained TenTen and the object of his affections, a young girl named Hinata._

_"I know this sounds cliché, but I just can't help it. You look so familiar to me. I actually was able to tell you were from Chicago - excuse me, Indiana - because I was from the area."_

_Sakura thought for a moment. "You know, I thought you looked familiar, too."_

_"It was your hair that made me think back to a little neighbor girl I used to play with when I was younger. We lived on Lakeshore Drive."_

_Sakura gasped. "No way! I lived there! Near Ripley Street!"_

_Sasuke grinned. "Then you just might be a ghost from my past."_

_Sakura was thinking back. "Uchiha. . .oh!" The name clicked. It was easy to remember, since there weren't too many other half-Japanese kids her age that she could ever remember running into._

_"You remember?"_

_"Oh. . .I remember. . ."_

_Sasuke's eyes darkened. "You remember my house burning down, don't you?"_

_"Oh, well, yes. I thought. . ."_

_". . .that I was dead. No, my brother and I survived."_

_"Oh, I'm sorry. But it was a good thing you still had. . .your. . ." Sasuke's face somehow told her what she was about to say was dead wrong._

_"I never saw my brother again after that night. The coroner's report said that my parents were dead before the fire started."_

_Sakura's jaw dropped. "I'm . . .so sorry to hear that. . .I didn't know what to think."_

_"You shouldn't have thought anything at all. I was very young, and I believe you may be a little younger."_

_"I'm 22."_

_"I'll be 23 next month."_

_"Ah." Sakura sipped her coffee, wanting desperately to change the subject._

_"So, what are you doing here in Bulgaria?"_

_"Oh, just some research with my friends, the other girls. You?"_

_"I had a small job to do. Contractual work, with Naruto and Neji."_

_"Neji?"_

_"Yes. He was going to meet us over here sometime. He's actually a little late."_

_"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to keep you. I didn't know you were working. I'm so sorry-"_

_"Don't be. Believe me. Our job is done, anyway, and we're returning to Japan tonight."_

_"Oh, so soon? I still have a couple more weeks left here, minimum. And my work today hasn't been easy. We were supposed to find someone and turn them over to someone else. Like detective work, only without an official badge."_

_"Detective work? I thought you did research. What do you do?" Sasuke sipped his coffee._

_"We work for Interpol."_

_Sasuke spit out his coffee. "Holy shit! What?"_

_Sakura stood straight up to avoid the spray. "Oh, did it surprise you?" After initial shock from his outburst, Sakura had an outburst herself from laughing at him. "What's wrong? Intimidated by an intelligent woman?"_

_"Well, a little, to be honest. My job. . .pales in comparison. I guess I can't really impress you." He didn't offer to divulge any details on his line of work, obviously._

_After a few more minutes of bantering, Neji walked around the corner._

_"Uchiha. . .I'm sorry. Am I interrupting?" He eyed Sakura suspiciously._

_'Neji, you don't know how right you are to be suspicious. But I can play cool with this.'_

_"N-no! Please, take my seat! I need to be getting back to my girls, anyway. We have a bit of work to do."_

_"Ah. An American."_

_"I'll be with you in a moment." Sasuke glared at him._

_"Meet me inside in a moment, then." Neji turned around and disappeared inside the bistro._

_"Do we have to go now?" Naruto practically groaned the entire sentence._

_"Yeah." Sasuke turned back towards Sakura. "But I'd like to see you again before I leave, if that's okay."_

_Sakura blushed. "Sure. Here." Sakura took out a permanent marker from her purse and wrote her cell phone number and email address on a napkin printed with the restaurant's Bulgarian name on n the center, with a logo featuring a reindeer or moose. Sasuke wasn't too sure what the particular horned creature was supposed to be, but it looked like a moose._

_Later that night, Sasuke, Neji and Naruto finalized their plans to return to Taka headquarters to report to Orochimaru. He kept pretty close tabs on them, and they were to not linger too long in their job location once the deed was done. But Sasuke lingered, hoping to see Sakura once again. He had faint memories of a slightly bratty yet fragile little girl named Sakura with strange bubblegum-pink hair. She was practically in love with him, from what he remembered. He was hoping maybe she could develop a little crush on him again, even if it was just for one night._

_**Sasuke:** Hey there. Are you free tonight?_

_Sasuke waited several minutes for a response, but he was as giddy as a teenager when he received a reply._

_**Sakura:** Yes._

_Sasuke: Would you like to have dinner with me?_

_**Sakura:** I've already had dinner. But I could use a little bit of dessert._

_'Goddammit, I'm in love with this girl already! Sexy little-'_

_**Sakura:** There's a cute little bakery just down the block from my hotel. It's across the street from that bistro, actually. Want to meet me there?_

_'Oh. She really was talking about dessert.'_

_**Sasuke:** Sure. I'll be there in ten._

_**Sakura:** Perfect!_

_"Dude, did you get a text message from your hot date? Ha! I've got one, too! With my dream girl!" Naruto threw his fist up in a victory stance._

_Sasuke shook his head at the childish display. 'Sure. Such a fearless, bloodthirsty killer. We've just got to get out of the business.'  
><em>

_Sasuke scrambled around his hotel room to get ready. He slipped on one of his favorite black v-neck sweaters, a black and grey scarf, a worn-in pair of jeans and a beanie. It was already chilly out there. This was something he couldn't get used to - being as cold as winter out of season from normal American seasons. He was just an American boy, stuck going back to Japan in a practically kidnapped-and-brainwashed situation. Come to think of it, that's exactly what his situation was. He just never thought about it, since he never had anything else to compare it to._

_He slipped on simple black boots and ran out the door, thankful for even just a couple of hours that he didn't have to think about his wish for freedom or his unwanted duties. And the blood staining his hands. Tonight, he deserved to be a normal young American boy again. With a normal young American girl from his past._

_Sakura was already waiting outside for him, with some sort of chocolate cake-looking thing. She waved._

_"Hello again!"_

_"You started without me!" He took a seat, in no hurry to get dessert. He wasn't a big fan of sweets. Now, that pasta restaurant a few blocks West, on the other hand. . .they had a robust tomato sauce that he had never tasted before. It was like cocaine in his system when he ate there yesterday. And the day before, and the day before. . ._

_"Aren't you going to get a dessert? Do you want me to order for you?" Sakura talked through a mouthful of chocolate fluffiness._

_"No thanks. I didn't really come out for food, anyway."_

_"Oh." Sakura blushed._

_It only took about ten minutes of more bantering before Sasuke leaned in for a first kiss, ten and a half minutes before she let him slip his tongue in her mouth, and about twenty-five minutes before they were falling in to her single hotel room down the street._

_Sakura quickly stripped herself of her sweater and skirt, but took too long stripping herself of her cold-climate leggings. Sasuke became impatient and ripped them off. Sakura didn't mind, though. It took him less than a minute to have every article of her clothing but her panties lying in a pile on the floor._

_Sasuke carried her to her hotel bed, kissing her neck the entire way. He had one hand in her hair. She mewled as he massaged her scalp. He seemed so tender that Sakura couldn't help but shiver at every touch. His lips were on hers, giving sensual sucks and nips until she parted her lips. His tongue delved inside, playing with her tongue. Sakura's muffled moans drove him wild, and he pressed himself against her bare thigh._

_"A-ah. . .Sasuke. . ." Sakura reached down to his pants and unzipped them. She pulled them down enough for the bulge to rub against her thigh, this time only separated by his boxers. She shivered when she heard Sasuke's first groan. And she was lost. Sakura slipped one hand into his boxers and grabbed his manhood, slowly but firmly stroking. She was impressed by his size, and quite intimidated due to the fact that this would be her first time. Nonetheless, she relished the feeling of the large organ twitching and throbbing in her hand just by her touch alone. Sasuke dug his face into her neck right by her right ear. She could hear his whimpers, pants and groans. She savored every bit of it. Sakura's index finger rubbed a drop of precum around his head, and he bucked roughly against her hand. Then he grabbed her hand and jerked it out of his boxers._

_Sakura barely had time to protest before Sasuke slung his own pants and boxers fully off his legs and into the floor, then practically ripped her panties off of her. He was done playing. He slipped a finger inside Sakura, with his thumb prodding and rubbing against her sensitive, swollen clit. Sakura's head hit the mattress, groaning and mewling like she never had before. When Sasuke thought she was more than ready, he lined himself up with her entrance and slowly pushed inside her._

_When he met resistance, he froze._

_"You. . .you're a. . ."_

_Sakura nodded her head. "Please, continue. Please. . .please. . .please. . ." Sakura squeezed Sasuke's hips with her inner thighs to further her point. Sasuke couldn't deny this beautiful vixen lying underneath him. At this point, there was no going back, even if she could protest. He was too far gone, lost inside her. Sasuke pulled back out a little, earning a little protest from Sakura in the form of a whimper. But he pushed back with a powerful thrust, breaking her barrier and pushing fully inside her. Sakura squealed, but Sasuke knew it wasn't a good sound. Sakura's eyes were squeezed shut. He leaned down and kissed her eyelids. They fluttered open, shining. They brimmed with tears, but they did not fall. Sakura recovered rather quickly and started fidgeting, not knowing how to ask for him to continue. So she bucked her hips experimentally, allowing further penetration. Sasuke grunted._

_"You ready?"_

_Sakura nodded. So Sasuke pulled out slowly, then reentered with a slow and steady rhythm. Sakura wasn't moaning yet, but she was getting the hang of it. Soon any discomfort subsided, and Sakura was vocal with her pleasure. Her hips were grinding and bucking within fifteen minutes of unsure pleasure to pure bliss. Sasuke kept up with a steady pace, but began increasing when he felt Sakura becoming impatient and more frustrated. He drove into her hard and deep, earning more grunts and mewls from her. He thought she was doing quite well for her first time._

_Not much long afterwards, Sakura's nails dug into Sasuke's shoulder blades. Her breath hitched in her throat, and a pleasurable low moan erupted from her throat. Her eyes closed, and her face took on one of the most angelic expressions as Sasuke watched Sakura come. When her inner walls squeezed down on his manhood, Sasuke pushed and thrust more and more until he also came._

_Sakura fell asleep almost immediately after Sasuke gently arranged her on her pillow. He laid in her bed, looking at her moist, glowing porcelain skin. He loved the way it tasted. He loved every sound she made. He loved the feel of her. He loved her scent. He. . .loved Sakura. This ghost from his childhood. One piece left untouched, not charred, from his former life. But how in the Hell could this possibly work? She'd probably let out a blood-curdling scream and try to shoot him once she figured out what kind of person he was and what he did for a living. He'd never get a chance to explain himself.  
><em>

_End flashback._

Sasuke stood under the hot spray, barely conscious of what his body was doing. He looked down to see he was sporting an erection. 'Damn. Am I a teenager?' He adjusted the spray to a cooler temperature, but that wasn't helping. So he did what any other red-blooded male would do in the shower. He grabbed the base of his erection and began long, firm strokes. Sasuke's calloused, rough fingers provided friction, while the water from the shower head eliminated the need for any lubrication. He grunted and groaned, relishing the release of tension. But he needed more, and fast. His hand picked up speed and squeezed, rubbing and flexing. His free hand flew to the tile wall for balance as he hunched over a little. His fingers toyed with his engorged tip. He was already leaking precum, so he was trying his best to make quick work of this. But he wasn't finished just yet. What else? Of course. He thought about Sakura's moans and mewls. About her perfect smooth ivory skin. Her soft, supple breasts. Her silky pink hair. The wetness and tightness of her core. That was more than enough. Sasuke spilled over his hand and onto the floor of the shower. He panted like he had just run a marathon. . .with Orochimaru driving the chariot he happened to be chained to. If he wasn't already flaccid, thinking about Orochimaru would've done it. He'd have to remember that one next time.

* * *

><p><strong>Please review!<strong> Yep, a little more adult-themed. But with blood and guts as your business, why not? What does he care? Sasuke's going to do what he wants, when he wants.

Only two more chapters! Thoughts or opinions? Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

**Violent Avarice: Chapter 4**

_Disclaimer: I do not claim any ownership or rights to the Naruto series or its characters._

* * *

><p><em>In the previous chapter (Sakura):<em>

_"Good day, ma'am." He waited until Ino was definitely out of earshot. "So. . .last night. . ."_

_"We don't have to let it affect our professional relationship, right? I have a ton of work to do, and a lot of time yesterday was wasted. Interpol has officially taken control of the case, since we were able to correctly identify the hitter as our guy. All evidence will be turned over immediately."_

_"Oh. . .uh-um. . ." Sakura left Eric standing there at the city morgue, holding the coroner's report._

* * *

><p><em>In the previous chapter (Sasuke):<br>_

_(Flashback to three years ago)  
><em>

_"Aren't you going to get a dessert? Do you want me to order for you?" Sakura talked through a mouthful of chocolate fluffiness._

_"No thanks. I didn't really come out for food, anyway."_

_"Oh." Sakura blushed._

_It only took about ten minutes of more bantering before Sasuke leaned in for a first kiss, ten and a half minutes before she let him slip his tongue in her mouth, and about twenty-five minutes before they were falling in to her single hotel room down the street._

* * *

><p>Reluctantly, Sasuke pulled up in his Fastback to one of Mexico City's upscale neighborhoods. . .full of high-paying criminals. They enjoyed luxury as much as they enjoyed their privacy. This gigantic Mediterranean-style stucco behemoth happened to be the beautiful abode of Orochimaru's son, Kabuto. It seemed Orochimaru was in Mexico City, visiting. He wanted to be near his favorite son during his final days, Sasuke surmised. He assumed Orochimaru either abandoned the Japanese compound or was located, compromising the entire compound. In that case, Sasuke was sure the compound would have been burned to the ground. If someone didn't have a chance to evacuate, then so be it. They should have ran faster.<p>

The sun was beaming down with such a scorching heat that Sasuke discarded his constricting t-shirt long ago for a simple black wife beater. He was wearing thin black skinny jeans and a black grommet-detailed belt, and his signature rough-and-tumble leather combat boots. His favorite pair of aviator sunglasses now sat atop his head so they were easily accessible. He couldn't see in the bright sunlight - it was literally burning his vision.

"Sasuke! You're finally here!" As expected, Karin ran out from the large front doors to greet him. She skipped a few of the large stone steps that lead down to the long driveway. He hoped she would trip and bust her skull open so he would no longer feel the need to do so. When she was close to his car, he hurriedly climbed out to move to go inside and see what all the fuss was about. Sasuke's stone cold expression didn't falter, hoping she'd get the message. She didn't.

"Keep your distance, Karin." Sasuke walked right past her while avoiding eye contact. She grabbed his arm. He turned around to face her, not at all happy with the physical contact and ready to snap at her.

"It's too late." Karin's excited expression was now replaced with a grave, serious look. Sasuke quickly guessed what she was referring to.

"Is he. . ."

"No, not yet. He's relinquished control of Taka-"

"Get inside. Someone could be listening in, you idiot."

"Oh!" Karin looked around anxiously and stumbled back up the tall steps to the mansion. Sasuke slowly followed her, leaving a great deal of distance grow between them. He wanted to stay as separate from her as possible, lest he do something he would regret. Kabuto would not be happy with him if his father's keeper and the organization's leading medical practitioner died.

Sasuke shook his head. "Fucking moron. I don't know how she hasn't gotten us all killed yet."

"I don't know how you haven't killed her yet yourself." Naruto appeared from behind the large set of doors, serious and concerned, but nonetheless very happy to see his friend once more.

"I can't believe you beat me here. No, don't-" Sasuke couldn't avoid the big bear-hug Naruto subjected him to. Even before his family was murdered, the Uchihas were never very close or touchy-feely. It's very understandable that Sasuke was not much of a sensitive, physical guy. Or emotional. Not since Sakura.

Naruto released Sasuke in a flash, noticing his discomfort.

"I have news for you."

"Huh?"

"Hinata called me this morning. It was the first time she knew the coast was clear to contact me."

"That was very risky. I thought she was smarter than that." Sasuke shook his head. 'She could ruin everything.'

Naruto walked in closer to Sasuke, to keep the next few words private.

"Sakura's in the States."

Sasuke looked up at him with an incredulous expression.

"What? How?"

"She was assigned the head job on your case a few months back. That old bat found her pouring over your case files a couple of years ago, after. . ."

"Bulgaria?"

"Yup. Tsunade assumed she was curious about your case and let her in on the research and tracking. A few meetings here and there."

"Yeah."

"You knew?"

"Yeah. I could smell Baton Rouge all over her when I ran in to her in Atlanta."

"You ran in to her in Atlanta? So she's been trailing you everywhere? She's a bit better than most of the seasoned Interpol fucks."

"Hn. She's been hot on my heels. I could tell she was assigned my case. I assumed she never told her bosses about our meeting. But I can't blame her for being curious over my case files."

"So. . ." Neji stepped in.

"Karin was telling me a few minutes ago that he's fading pretty quickly. It seemed that she was trying to say Kabuto had already taken over." Sasuke looked around again for Karin, but she was nowhere to be found.

"Well, I think we should go in to see him. He's in the study, back to the left. They have it set up like a hospital room." Naruto had already checked on Orochimaru's current condition. "He doesn't look so good."

"No, he doesn't have much time." In walked Kabuto, wearing a nice black suit jacket, matching pants and a white shirt underneath. His silvery blond hair was tied in a sleek ponytail, and his usual rounded glasses hung on his nose a little better since his chin was held a little higher than usual. He had definitely taken his new position to his head. What a dick.

"I have control of Taka, as you should certainly already know. I'd like a word with the three of you, if you don't mind."

"What if we don't feel like talking, dipshit? You may be a dick, but you ain't your daddy." Sasuke was not willing to follow Kabuto's orders. He was ready to spit in his eye, then rip it out of its socket. Kabuto didn't stand a chance, so he backed off. But he still tried to maintain his dominance over the three of them.

"You fool. Don't you realize that I'm your new handler?" He scoffed. "I figured I'd have the most trouble with you. So let me be clear: I'm in charge, and if you disobey me, you will be terminated. Got it?"

Sasuke stepped in closer. "Blow me."

Kabuto became furious. In a blind rage, he struck out at Sasuke. Kabuto was just as depraved as his father, but he was not the killing machine that Sasuke was. Sasuke easily avoided the aimed blow and took hold of his wrist. With one simple jerk, Kabuto's arm snapped practically in two. Kabuto screamed.

"What is it?" Karin came running in from Orochimaru's room, right before three armed guards wearing blackened uniforms and ski masks almost knocked her over. These were some of the unpleasant goons commanded, some hired, to protect Kabuto in his home. "What's going on?"

"Sir, is everything alright?" One particular goon stepped forward. Kabuto didn't notice he was being sarcastic.

"No, you imbecile! That mercenary has defected under my new leadership! Kill him!"

The guard took one look at Sasuke, then aimed his rifle at Kabuto instead.

"I don't think so, sir."

Kabuto's pained expression added a look of horror. Sasuke avoided the mess by sneaking into Orochimaru's room with Neji and Naruto.

As they crept down the corridor, they heard Kabuto's screams echoing off the marble walls.

"No! No! I'm the new leader! Don't you- ah! No! No! You will obey! You. . .fuck!" The corridor received a few staccato bursts of light from the rifle, along with the echoing gunshots. They were followed by the harmonious clatter of the shell casings hitting the beautifully tiled, now blood-spattered, floor.

"Well, that's that. I guess Shikamaru and the others didn't feel like listening to the motherfucker, either."

Neji and Sasuke nodded along with Naruto's sentiment.

They knew they reached the correct room when they found the slightly-ajar doorway with cords running out of it. They heard beeping sounds from the monitors and a little bit of shuffling inside. The guys were hesitant to enter, but a familiar voice behind them encouraged them.

"He's waiting for you. He already knows you're here." Shikamaru had already pulled off his ski mask and left his rifle behind.

They walked in to the room. The smell of death hit their nostrils, though he wasn't even gone yet. The study still had inlaid bookshelves filled to the brim, but the cot in the back corner near a window was Orochimaru's current prison.

"Ah, boys. I knew you'd come. From the gunshots, I'm assuming you've killed my son. I can't blame you, but you can't blame me for trying, either."

"You know this is the end of Taka." Neji was the first to speak.

"I know this has been absolute torture for you three. Believe me, I've enjoyed every minute of it. My agony over these past few months was worth it, and I'm sure I haven't even begun to suffer. Once I dive into the mouth of Hell, I'll be reaping the sweet wrath of what I have sown."

"What do you want to tell us?" Sasuke was very curious. He hated the man in front of him, and as he crept closer, he was more and more excited about Orochimaru's impending death and the suffering that was evident in his current state.

"I can no longer function in my body. If I could take one of yours and rip out your very soul just for my sheer enjoyment, you know I would. But I can't, so here I lie. You may do with me what you wish. Just kill me now, please. I would like to pay the ferry man and pass on. I may very well have work waiting for me on the other side. These cold machines aren't going to keep much more breath in me. Karin can draw more blood from my veins, but they will soon be empty. I can't take another day inside this Hell. I've wanted to see what Hell is like for so long, and I think I've done a fairly satisfactory job of bringing it unto Earth. That must account for something, right?" Orochimaru grinned, but coughed a little, his now-raspy breaths shortened. Just speaking was exhausting for him.

"But I promise each of you my estate. You have served me well. Not that I have given you much of a choice, but. . ." Orochimaru thought back for a moment.

"Ah, Naruto. When your parents both died trying to protect you, I knew I had to have you. You had such a fighting spirit, just like your parents. Was I wrong?"

"Shut up, old man." Naruto's parents died when he was an infant, so he never knew anything else other than Orochimaru. He must have had a lot of spirit in him, since he didn't turn out like Kabuto.

"And Neji. Your father died by the hands of his twin brother. You were a forgotten teenager, wounded and left for dead by your murderous, selfish uncle for a lousy inheritance. What a family of yours. I do believe that you turned out more honorable in my care."

"Fuck you."

"Just look at that souvenir he carved into your pretty little forehead, as a reminder that you were unwanted."

Neji seethed with hatred.

"And Sasuke." Orochimaru' eyes glazed over. Everyone knew Sasuke was Orochimaru's favorite. But no one knew of it more than the late Kabuto. "Your own parents killed by your brother, Itachi."

"Shut up. Don't dig into my past. It's behind me. I joined you on my own terms, remember?"

"Did you? Or did you just join me so you could find your brother? You didn't even want to know why he killed your parents, did you? You just wanted him dead, just like them. Well, Sasuke, you will have your chance. I knew Kabuto would never have sufficed as my successor. I made him too weak. He was too proud, and it made him weak. Your hate fuels you. It's enough evil to make armies fall to their knees. I would have loved to convert you enough to be my successor, but I knew you would be one of my -"

"What are you talking about my brother for? You don't know anything about my brother."

"Oh, but I do. I would love to make Taka a family-oriented organization. Why don't you join him?"

"What do you mean? For all we know, my brother is dead."

Orochimaru's chapped lips curled into a hideous grin. "Oh, no. He is very much alive. He is my true successor. Come, join him. Or better yet, fight to the death. Winner takes all. It's just a shame that I will not be able to witness it. Such an emotional battle."

Out from the shadows stepped a man not too much older than Sasuke. What startled Neji, Shikamaru and Naruto was that he was almost a clone of Sasuke. He was slightly more lean and had long hair, with a much lighter complexion; other than those small differences, it was clear that Sasuke could never deny this was his brother.

"Dear brother. I have watched you from the shadows, your rage and hate driving you to succeed. I am quite pleased. As Orochimaru said, we would love to add you to the helm of this organization. You are a skilled, brutal killer. Such a prize just can't be wasted. "

Neji, Shikamaru and Neji all were frantic. They knew it would be very easy to lose their friend to the dark side of this organization if he even so much as contemplated all the power he could hold.

"Dude, let's take him out. Now." Naruto grabbed Sasuke's shoulder. But Sasuke yanked it off, throwing Naruto into a table.

"Everyone, get the fuck out. Now!"

Everyone left, hoping that this wouldn't go downhill. They wanted to be free just as much as everyone else, undoubtedly. But they had to be careful. If Sasuke escaped from their grasp, then they would surely be killed.

"My little brother, I do believe you have one more task to finish." He gestured over to Orochimaru, whose eyes were now closed. He seemed to be fading in and out of consciousness.

"No." Sasuke stood firm.

"What?" Itachi tried to gauge Sasuke's direction. He could attack at any moment.

"I want him to suffer as long as possible in his own rotting flesh. He deserves nothing better."

"Very well, then." Itachi wasn't too concerned with Orochimaru's well-being. To be honest, he was trivial to Itachi;s plans. Itachi had been making plans to cause havoc and misery to the world for some time now, and hoped to have his brother by his side.

"Back when I left you alone on that playground, I was hoping you would one day find me and join my side."

"Why? Why did you do it?"

Itachi grinned. It was going a lot better than he had assumed it would. "Simple, really. You couldn't possibly remember, but our father was quite abusive. He killed our mother."

Sasuke shook his head. "No. That's not right."

"Yes, it is. In a rage, the same Uchiha rage that courses through our veins, he used a butcher's knife to-"

"Liar!" Sasuke lunged at Itachi. Itachi dodged Sasuke at first, grabbed him by the neck in a flash, and held him down on all fours on the ground. Sasuke struggled, but couldn't stand back up. He couldn't use any limb to reach out to strike Sasuke with, and he couldn't reach any weapon on him in the compromising position. He felt so foolish, and thought he was likely going to die in this room. But he'd rather die than join his brother's bloody and evil crusade. Sasuke knew he was owed so much more in life than so much death and destruction, and he owed it to a certain someone to make that happen. Even if he had to use it to attain what he most desired. After all, it's all he knows.

"Dear little brother, you are still young and foolish. It's time to grow up. Time to know the truth. I killed Father. I shot him with his own gun. And I enjoyed it so much, that I didn't stop. I killed, and I loved it. Orochimaru was kind enough to admit me into the organization, but he didn't count of the faction I created. The Akatsuki is back in Japan. We've taken over the compound. He was left with no choice but to leave me the reigns to Taka. The second he became ill, he became too weak to control anything anymore. I swooped in and let the death continue. It's my sustenance."

Sasuke growled through his gritted teeth.

"Itachi, you're fucking insane."

Itachi laughed. "I know! Isn't it wonderful? So much better than anything else I've tried."

"Get the fuck off me!" Itachi kicked Sasuke's lower back, and Sasuke fell on his stomach.

"You're so stubborn, little brother. Just like Father."

"Fuck you." Sasuke turned on his side, wiping blood from his lip. He bit it pretty hard when he hit the floor.

Itachi remained quiet. The room filled with tension. Sasuke slowly stood, ready to walk out of the room. But he turned, gun in hand. Itachi was quicker, and shot Sasuke in his leg.

"Not quick enough, brother." Itachi watched Sasuke fall to the ground in pain. Sasuke remained calm, though, and fired off a few shots at Itachi. He successfully dodged all but one bullet, which entered his right side. Itachi hit the floor.

The doors flew open, each of the guys with guns in hand. They fired at Itachi, but he was still too quick. He jumped out the window. They rushed to the window, but they couldn't find him. They saw his blood trail end at at the hedge hiding the pool area. They assumed he escaped.

"It's too- ahh! It's too late." Sasuke grimaced in pain as he tried to stand up, but he couldn't displace enoug of his weight to do it by himself.

"Here, man." Shikamaru held Sasuke's arm up, and Neji lifted him from behind. Sasuke wrapped each arm around one of the guys for support. Naruto ran to get Karin.

"You'll never catch him now, Sasuke. He'll be on a plane back to Osaka by nightfall." Orochimaru coughed.

"It'll be nightfall in less than an hour, you fucking bastard. See? It's already getting dark outside now. The sun is setting." Naruto pointed to the window, the same window Itachi jumped out of. The commotion obviously woke Orochimaru.

"Exactly." Orochimaru cackled.

"Go to Hell." Naruto raised his gun and planted one lone bullet into Orochimaru's forehead. He turned to the other guys.

"Go get Karin, now."

"It's too late. She's already gone." Kakashi Hatake walked in, his ski mask still partially covering his face. He was one of the guards Kabuto kept. Now that Kabuto was dead, Kakashi was not interested in being recycled by Itachi. None of the guys were. Most had already left, in fact. Kakashi happened to be a seasoned mercenary, as a matter of fact. Orochimaru was not the father figure he thought he could emulate, which explained why none of the boys ever held any loyalty to him. Kakashi was more of a father to the guys. He taught them everything they knew about killing. He even taught Sasuke his sharpshooting.

"What do you mean, 'gone?'" Sasuke was losing a good bit of blood, and he knew he needed a doctor.

"She left with Itachi. She's loyal to him. You should have planted a bullet in her when you had your chance, Shikamaru."

"Eh. So fucking troublesome. We need to get Sasuke to a clinic, fast." Shikamaru and Neji pulled him along. They avoided Kabuto's corpse as they left the empty mansion in search of a nearby clinic. They were certain they were familiar with gunshot wounds in Mexico City, and knew they wouldn't ask too many questions. Only these guys are a bit more dangerous than your average coke mule.

* * *

><p>Sakura paced back and forth outside the courthouse in Phoenix. She had conquered her objective - to derail the U.S.-based investigations and assert Interpol's dominance over all matters Taka.<p>

*ring ring*

"Make it short, Hinata."

"You-know-who is dead. Naruto confirmed it. Sasuke's injured, but it's minor. He said there's a bigger problem with Taka. He couldn't give me any more details than that, but-"

"Miss Haruno." Eric popped out from behind a column.

"I uh. . .I've gotta go." Sasuke hung up the phone quickly.

"Bravo, Sa-ku-ra. You thoroughly dominated me, in more ways than one. Is that how you-"

*ring ring ring*

"Fuck." Eric's pitiful bantering was cut short after his superior called in.

*ring ring ring*

"Bannister here. Uh-huh. Where? Is it already cleared with the Mexican government? Oh, I see. Right."

Eric hung up his phone. He turned back to a pissed Sakura.

"Well, we'll have to finish that conversation later. I'll make sure we have seats far away from each other on the damn plane. We're going to Mexico City."

"What?" Sakura panicked. The Mexican government has a strict policy against anyone foreign tracking criminals inside their borders. She caught up to Eric as we walked away. They walked and talked.

"The Mexican government doesn't have time or energy to track this bastard down, and they've requested us to grab him quietly. I'm guessing we may not be able to guarantee that one. They'll have backup waiting for us when we move in. They don't have a location yet, but they have a nice little crime scene. It seems they had a lovely tea party, but someone spilled the sugar."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" His Southern "charm" was really grating on Sakura's nerves at this point.

"It's a metaphor, sweetheart. Please do try to keep up."

"Fuck you. I'm looking for plain, simple answers. I'm hoping you can muster at least that much. I'm assuming a tea party would be another murder, and the sugar would be. . ."

"Well, there's a lot more where that came from."

The entire plane ride, even through layovers, they sat in silence on opposite ends, as Eric had promised. But once they reached their final destination, Eric embellished on more details as he got them. Sakura now knew that Orochimaru's body was found along with his son's in Kabuto's Mexico City mansion. More blood was found, but no other bodies.

Sakura and Eric didn't have to share a hotel, room, since Interpol kept her separate. Hinata handled her travel and accommodations. But this time, Hinata joined her. As did TenTen and Ino. Eric could hardly believe what he was seeing when they disembarked from the plane, when he put together the puzzle pieces and realized this was Sakura's team. . .of incredibly hot and fierce women working for Interpol. Holy Hell.

Once they reached the crime scene, Sakura was alerted that the blood samples found inside Orochimaru's room did not belong to either victim.

Sakura's face paled, looking at all the blood spatter and remembering what Hinata had said about Sasuke being injured. They spoke low, away from all others.

"When you said he was injured, I didn't know there would be so much blood! What if he's already dead? We need to locate his whereabouts, quickly."

"I'll call Naruto when I'm certain I can do so. Other than that, we wait."

Mexican officials escorted them all to a laboratory where they were running the DNA in the blood inside a database. It wasn't what she needed, so separate samples were taken to send to Interpol headquarters.

Later the next afternoon, once they were debriefed on all that had been found, Sakura concluded that Sasuke may not even be in Mexico anymore.

"Well, if he is, we'll find him." Eric wiped his brow from under his ridiculously cliché ivory Stetson. Sakura and he parted, as Sakura secretly hoped to never have to see him again. She and the girls drove their rental back to the hotel. TenTen and Hinata went to their rooms while Ino and Sakura collected a few shopping bags from their "me time" break.

"I'm going to retire for the afternoon." Sakura walked back to her hotel room with Ino.

"I'm going to go to lunch with the girls. You're coming, too, right?"

Sakura shook her head. "I can't right now. I have a lot of paperwork to complete before we leave here. And I don't want Eric to get any more suspicious of us."

Ino nodded and walked two doors down the hallway to her hotel room.

Sakura had barely even entered her own hotel room before she received a call.

*ring ring*

'Ugh. Work is relentless. Please don't be Tsunade!'

"We've got a lead. Come downstairs. Now." It was Eric.

"I'll be right there." Sakura rushed to the elevator, and was rushing out the front doors in no time flat. She heard a whistle to her left and saw Eric, this time without his stupid cowboy hat. She jogged up to him. He was driving a rented pickup truck, of course.

"I do not appreciate being whistled at like a dog. What is it?"

"They found him. C'mon. They should have backup at his hotel soon."

But when they pulled up at the hotel, Eric panicked over the phone. The Mexican force was way behind.

"Shit." He threw his cell phone down.

"What is it?"

"They'll be a little bit longer. We'll just have to wait here."

Sakura ignored him and stepped out of the truck. Eric's eyes shot open wide.

"Are you fucking crazy, girl? Don't you know who that is in there?"

Sakura looked back at him through the open door. "Yes. Do you?" She slammed the truck door. Eric jumped out quickly, hot on her heels.

"We can't go in there with no backup. We're probably very lucky he hasn't put a bullet through our heads yet.

"You're right. Because he likely already knows we're here. And he'll be trying to leave in a few seconds. If we don't move on him now, we'll lose him again. He won't be in this part of the hemisphere for too much longer, and you'll go down for completely fucking up this gigantic case. Their leader is dead, and we can't even figure out what happened to the owners of the blood all over the floor. You're an idiot of you can't see your options. Help me apprehend arguably one of the world's most wanted criminals, or fuck up some more and lose your job and reputation. Are you looking forward to receiving a medal, or are you looking for a new pair of sunglasses to match your atrocious security guard uniform for the local mall?"

Eric stared her down. "This is absolutely crazy. If I receive any kind of medal, it will be posthumously."

"Grow some balls, you dipshit." Sakura drew a gun Eric didn't even know she had on her. She checked for ammo, and he noticed she took it off safety. She was ready for business, and she wasn't kidding. He was falling in love with her all over again. She's the kind of brazen girl he'd always wanted. He checked his gun, as well, as they neared a side entrance. They hid them again as a middle-aged Mexican citizen exited through the side door. They used that opportunity to enter the hotel. Eric pulled her aside before she popped the button on the elevator.

"Look, Sakura. Now, you're going to have to understand that you're in my world now. Stay behind me at all times, or else I can't protect you. And we're taking the stairs. The elevator could be a death trap now for a number of reasons."

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><p><strong>Please review!<strong> Orochimaru is dead, but Itachi is not. What was supposed to be the end of Taka Organization seems to be the birth of a new kind of Hell on Earth. Is Sasuke alright? Did they successfully track Sasuke down?


	5. Chapter 5

**Violent Avarice: Chapter 5  
><strong>

_Disclaimer: I do not claim any ownership or rights to the Naruto series or its characters._

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><p>Sakura and Eric ran up the back access stairs to the fourth floor, guns already drawn. Eric led, while Sakura covered him. As they rounded the last set of stairs, Eric turned back to face Sakura.<p>

"If he's here, it could be possible that he already knows we're here. But remember that we don't have any backup. If we botch this, he'll get away and we'll likely be dead. Do you understand?"

Sakura nodded.

Eric looked through the small pane of glass down the hotel hallway. The sign next to the door read Floor 4. Satisfied the coast was as clear as it was going to be, Eric gripped the door handle and slowly, cautiously opened the door a crack. With his gun drawn and leading the way, Eric crept out of the stairwell and managed to clear the hallway. He looked back and nodded to Sakura that the coast was clear. But Sakura wasn't there. Instantly alarmed, Eric ran back into the stairwell, where he saw Sakura's still body lying in the corner to the right, slumped over.

"Sakura? Are you okay? Sakura?"

"She's dead. And soon, every member of your team will join her if you don't leave right now."

Eric froze. He slowly turned around. There he looked straight into the face of evil. Sasuke Uchiha was standing not five feet from him, on the next step of the staircase. He checked there! He didn't understand.

"I followed both of you up the staircase. I've watched every move you've made since you came into the hotel's vicinity. And yes, I have been expecting you. The beautiful Miss Haruno has been quite the detective. It's almost sad to see such a waste of an exquisite woman lost to analyzing assassinations and criminals, poisoning that pretty little head of hers. She must have been quite extensive with her research. I'm impressed, quite frankly. She practically knows me better than I do. But that ends today. It all ends today. I am no longer a mercenary of Taka."

"Please. . ."

"Please what? Please don't kill you?" Sasuke stepped closer.

Eric couldn't formulate one thought in his brain. He knew his life would be over tonight. He should have waited for backup. Sasuke Uchiha was on to them before they even arrived. It probably would have been a bloodbath or a daring escape; but either way, Sakura would still be alive had he not rushed in so brazenly. This was all his fault, and he knew it.

"I'm not going to kill you. How else do I tell that old bat Tsunade that I've disassociated myself as a mercenary for Taka? You are my little carrier pigeon. But you won't come out of this unscathed."

With that being said, Sasuke took out a 3-inch hunting knife. Eric's eyes widened in terror. The 3' blade had obviously been used before. Its description matched the type of weapon used to dismember his last victim's fingers. Eric made a move to try to run away, but Sasuke caught him before he could even take hold of the door handle again. In one move, Eric's back was being held to Sasuke's chest with just a hand over his mouth. But he had a powerful grip and held control over Eric's entire head. And Eric couldn't even scream. Sasuke brought the knife up to Eric's face so he could see both his look of terror and Sasuke's amused smirk in the gleam of the blade. Then Sasuke swiftly used the blade to carve an emblem into Eric's forehead. All his screams were muffled by Sasuke's hand. Within about five or six minutes, Sasuke's work was done. Sasuke licked the blood of the blade, then wiped much of the remaining blood on his pants. Eric's screams of pain and terror died down to mumbles and groans. Sasuke brought the blade of the knife up to his face so Eric's barely-open eyes could see Sasuke's handiwork. To Eric's shock, in his forehead was a crude-yet-skilled outline carving of the Uchiha crest, the uchiwa fan. Out of spatters of leaking blood and folded-over cut flesh, of course. Eric was sick to his stomach. Sasuke wasted no time in knocking Eric out. Then he walked over to Sakura, who was already sitting up straight and gawking at his handiwork.

Sasuke calmly knelt down and brought the knife blade up to Sakura's face. Sakura looked at him, confused and worried.

"Lick the blade."

Sakura gave him a look of disgust and contempt.

"No. Hell no."

"C'mon, sweetheart. Have a little taste."

"No! That's disgusting!"

"Fine. Have it your way." Then Sasuke stood up. He peered down at Sakura before reaching down, offering his hand to her.

Sakura took it. She stood up, smoothing out the creases on her dress. "How long will he be unconscious?"

"A couple hours, tops. But I have another little idea." Sasuke grabbed Eric by his ankles and dragged his stiff body up the staircase to the fifth floor. Between that entrance was a little maintenance closet. He effortlessly stuffed Eric inside. He worked on the door jamb a little until he was satisfied, effectively jamming the door so no one would be able to open the door from either side for a little while, even if Eric is discovered. Then he hopped back down the staircase to the fourth floor. Sakura held the door open for him, a sly grin on her face. He smirked his signature smartass grin, knowing exactly where they were headed. Sakura led the way back to his room.

Sakura had her arms around his waist, rubbing his sides as he opened the door. They were barely inside before Sasuke threw Sakura up against the wall, his hot mouth on hers. Sakura immediately swung both of her arms around his neck, pulling him as close to her as possible. Sasuke's arms dipped down to her rear, cupping it and rubbing enough to get her more excited. He left her rear and gripped both of her thighs with each of his hands, using barely any strength at all to lift her entire lower body up the wall. Sakura instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist, and he, in turn, instinctively ground against her center. Sakura disconnected her mouth from his and threw her head back against the wall with a sensual moan of approval.

"It's been a while, Detective Haruno." Sasuke whispered into her ear.

"I've had quite a time covering your ass." She hissed at him through her gritted teeth.

Sasuke grinned and licked the shell of her ear, sending pleasurable shivers down her spine. "Then allow me to repay your ass the favor." Sasuke squeezed her rear again and used it to his advantage to grind into her center harder, making Sakura moan more and more.

Sasuke grew tired of the wall and carried Sakura to the bed as Sakura's lips connected with his neck. He hesitated to let her suck on his pulse before dropping her quickly onto the sheets. He looked at her hungrily, and her eyes mirrored the same emotions. Sasuke quickly divested himself of his shirt and crawled onto the bed on his knees, working his way up Sakura's body. When he reached her calves, one of his hands began trailing up her body until he was covering her body with his. He attacked her mouth once more. His tongue traced her lips, begging for entrance. Sakura obliged without hesitation and played for dominance a bit before letting Sasuke's tongue have its fun. Meanwhile, Sasuke's hands fumbled for the zipper on the back of Sakura's dress. When he found it, he pulled the zipper down harshly and tried his best to just pull it of of her.

Sakura pulled away from Sasuke's mouth with a gigge and assisted him in undressing her.

"Impatient, aren't we?" Sakura knew Sasuke didn't like to be teased, but she loved to poke fun at him. Sakura took her time in raking the dress down her torso, baring her ample breasts in a lacy black bra. By the time it reached her hips, Sasuke growled under his breath and pulled it down to her ankles. Sakura gave him another little giggle and kicked the dress off the bed. Sasuke ran his fingers over the waistband of her matching lacy black panties, teasing her a bit to give her a little bit of her own medicine. He knew he succeeded when he heard her sharp intake of breath. Sasuke smirked a little bit more. She leaned down to her abdomen and began kissing her flat stomach. Sakura dug her fingers into his raven locks and massaged his scalp. One of his hands reached underneath Sakura and unclasped her bra. He pulled the bra off of her and tossed it to the side. He wasted no time in kissing underneath her breasts. One hand soon found one, while he let his mouth envelop the other. He nipped, sucked and licked her nipple as her moans and mewls drove him crazy. . .well, crazier. He switched places with his busy hands, using the hand not in use to prop himself up on the mattress comfortably. When he thought he was thorough enough with her breasts, he reluctantly left them to give Sakura another searing kiss.

Sakura's hands flew to Sasuke's black pants and pulled and tugged on the zipper. She only took half a minute to successfully loosen them and pull them midway down his thighs. Sasuke gave in and pulled them off far enough to kick them off the bed, too. Now he was left in his black cotton briefs, while Sakura was only in her lacy black panties.

"Uh. . .Sasuke?"

"Hn?"

"That bandage on your leg. . .you were wounded!"

'Shit.' "Just a scratch. A bullet wound, but it's been removed and it's healing fast. Not a big deal."

To prove his point and to get her mind off of everything, Sasuke started at her knee, kissing and gently licking all the way up her inner thigh. When he reached his destination, he held her hips with one hand while the other ghosted over the lacy material covering her center. Sakura moaned. Sasuke smirked a little bit more and dipped his fingers under the fabric. We rubbed her, dragging his index finger down and slipping it inside. He began to pump her slowly while rubbing her clit. Sakura tossed and writhed under his ministrations. Sasuke was already enjoying himself.

Sasuke's fingers pulled back with a protest from Sakura, but he simply pulled her panties off of her and replaced his fingers with his mouth. He began sucking and even nipping lightly. Sakura went into sensory overdrive. Her head hit the pillow with uncontrollable low groans. He wasn't even sure if she could moan anymore. Within seconds, she came. Sasuke pushed her climax by continuing his sucking and licking for a little bit longer, with more fervor.

Sasuke pulled away as Sakura relaxed more into the mattress. He climbed up her body, enjoying his short trip. Sasuke rubbed his hand on her cheek, cupping her face lovingly.

"I love you, Sakura."

Underneath her thick lashes, her darkened green eyes looked into his midnight eyes. "I love you, too."

With that being said, Sasuke kissed Sakura tenderly. She replied with similar emotions as she reached down to try to pull off his underwear. She could feel his cock straining from behind the cotton fabric. She did pull the waistband down enough for his cock to pop out from under its binding. Sakura mewled into the kiss when it accidentally brushed her inner thigh. Sasuke groaned a but, to. He kicked off his briefs and wasted no time lining himself up before her drove in Sakura's head hit the mattress once more. Sasuke set a slow, tantalizing pace, since Sakura came just recently. But she soon grew restless with the slow pace and bucked her hips a little into his, signaling him to move a little faster. Sasuke complied. Sakura wrapped her arms around his shoulders and rubbed his shoulder blades with her fingers. She let her hands roam all over his back before straying around his sides and felt their way all over his abdomen. She ghosted over his nipples and traced the outline of his abs. She could feel his muscles twitching underneath her fingers, which she enjoyed almost as much as his thrusts. He was getting more and more turned on with Sakura's touches on her exploration, and began to drive faster.

"More. Harder, Sasuke."

How could he turn down that request? Sasuke leaned down to capture a nipple in his mouth before he set his pace a little quicker. Sakura moaned loudly in appreciation. Sasuke was starting to lost his grip. It had been too long a wait to be with the woman he loved again. He didn't want to stay apart from her ever again. The thought of losing her. . .the only woman he ever really loved. . .who was still alive. . .he wished his mother could have met her. She would have approved of such a beautiful, bright, utterly remarkable girl.

Sasuke picked up the pace, even without a request from his partner. Sasuke gripped her hips tightly and brought them even closer, but it wasn't enough friction. He drove harder and faster, and lifted her legs up so she could hook them around his waist. He was able to gain a better position and thrust further inside her, and she was appreciative. With every thrust and grind from his hips, Sakura felt the knot in her stomach tighten more and more, inch by inch. Soon it unraveled and she came again. Her back arched off the bed and Sasuke's name spilled form her lips before no other sound could come out. Sasuke's hand grasped her back at the base of the arch. He thought this was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. In less than another minute, Sasuke also came inside Sakura. He ground until he was spent, then removed himself and barely managed to roll over to Sakura's side.

Sakura's arm coiled around his torso, and she scooted close enough to snuggle in his bare chest. She loved his natural woodsy-yet-citrusy smell. She couldn't get enough of it. She couldn't get enough of him. This was her man, and she was willing to do anything for him, as he felt the same for her.

After a few minutes of relaxed silence, Sakura had a question.

"Sasuke?"

"Hn?"

"Where do we go from here?"

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><p><strong>Please review!<strong> That one was a twister and a scorcher! Sorry to throw so much on the fire at once!

**I'm considering this the last chapter of this story line, though it is set up for a sequel. This story barely received any hits while uncompleted, and only a couple of reviews. So if it isn't something too many readers will enjoy, I won't continue.**


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